Isshiki Makoto 一色まこと

[born: ? ; bloodtype: ?]

His characters are plain and normal, not good-looking in most cases. But
strangely, I feel very familiar with his characters because they have
personalities of their own. He likes to set somewhat 'unhappy' situations
of some characters; RINDA Suzu in Hassuru (does not know who is her father,
raped at junior high school age), MORISHITA Akane in Denaoshitoide! (lost her
mother), and ICHINOSE Kai in Piano no Mori (son of a woman in bar). But most
of his works is full of healthy humor, good art-style, and warm depiction
of the real life. His works deserve to be more favored. I think his natural
and fittest realm is at depiction of normal life and comical scenes like
Hanada Shounen-Si or Hassuru. {YRL}

Winner of The 19th Koudansha manga award(1995). HANADA Ichiji is a
9-year-old boy, who likes to play tricks very much. Therefore he was
almost a terror to everyone and to animals near him. One day he was hit
by a truck in playing. His cut was sewed up with nine stitches because
of the accident. Then he came to be able to talk with ghosts - alluded
it was a tradition of Hanada family in the text - and began to help them
so as to realize their unfinished hope when they were living. He became
mature in doing so... I think this is his most successful work in story
texture and persuasiveness (some scenes are even moving me) I have ever
seen. He shows the perfect fusion of his characteristic humor and
settings and his typical style best. In Korea, this work was once
selected as 'Recommended comic for youths' (what irony the publication
was illegal copy!). Heartwarming manga, recommended to any readers
irreverent of age. {YRL}

MORISHITA Akane is the captain of the basketball team in high school in
spite of her small statue, but not good at anything except for it and
almost never favorite with schoolboys. But TSUCHIYA Toukihikou, a model
student, has liked her and says so to her. This story has no
exaggeration, but shows his typical style well. It should be classified
as humorous and cheerful high-school comedy, which cannot explain all of
this work. I think Denaoshitoide! is not better than Hanada Shounen-Shi
or Hassuru, but deserved to be read once. {YRL}

RINDA Suzu is a geisha in Gion (see MURAKAMI Motoka's Ron), but fanatic
of professional wrestling. Therefore, she cannot stop doing wrestling
game with her customers even at bar. One day, she saw an article that
former women's wrestling star YAMABUKI Ryohko, her idol, would come back
to the ring and establish a new company of women wrestlers. She asked her
manager (almost same to mother) to be auditioned, but was refused at
once. Though, Rinda did not give it up by 'wrestling spirit' ^^ and went
to the audition, to become a member of Yamabuki-gumi. I should like to
recommend this next to Hanada Shounen-Shi in his works. First of all,
interesting - full of active humor, especially in the first half.
Secondly, this gives much information on Gion and its sceneries (and
professional wrestler's in Japan). It's unfortunate that this shows some
discrepancy of story development style between the first and last half,
and suffers from a too sudden ending, but it does not hurt seriously
the merits of the story. {YRL}

Subtitled 'The perfect world of Kai'.
ICHINOSE Kai is a son of bar woman, and has no father. There is a piano in
the forest near his home, and Kai's only interest (and refuge from his
terrible circumstances) is to play it. Because the piano has been made as
a personal instrument for a retired pianist due to accident, it gives
almost no sound under other's hand. But Kai can play the piano well,
and his ability perplexed a friend of him who wants to be a pianist. The
friend introduces Kai to his teacher, who was the original owner of the
piano in the forest. Kai began to be tutored by him, so as to be
accustomed to 'normal and common' playing style. Some changes are seen
at the author's story-making style in this work, but I think it is not
well-balanced to his original one yet. And the persuasive ability of
this story is less than of his former works. {YRL}

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